Photographic-printing apparatus.



. NITED STAWQ ALBERT H. FRETTER AND AURA C. MARSH, F MEDINA, OHIO.

PHOTOGBAPHIC-PRINTING APPARATUS;

Toall whom it may concern:

- Be it known that we, ALBERT H. FRETTER and AURA C. MARSH, citizens of the United States, residing at Medina, in the county of Medina and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photographic-Printing Apparatus, of which the following is a specifiction.

This invention relates to improvements in photographic printing apparatus, the primary object of the invention being to provide a generally improved. photographic rmtmg apparatus which will be exceedingly simple in construction, cheap of manufaeture, and efficient in use.

The invention is particularly designed for rapid commercial printing and is admirably adapted for the printing of photographic postal cards and thelike.

The apparatus is adapted to be operated either manually or by power, and is capable of a wide range of speeds. With this end in yiew, the apparatus is provided with an adustable contact plate whereby the period of duration or time of the exposure of the sensitized element or print to the rays of light, projected by the illuminating agent, may be regulated. Means are also provided whereby the various parts may be readily regulated to meet any emergency and also whereby the parts may be adjusted to conform to negatives of various dimensions.

WVi'th the above mentioned ens in view, the invention consists in the novel construe tion, arrangement, and combination of parts, hereinafter described,illustrated in one of its embodiments in the accompanying draw ings, and, articularly pointed out in the appended c aims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a perspective view of a photographic printing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, a portion of the walls of the easing being broken away for'the purpose of clearer illustration of the parts. Fig. 2, a

top plan view of the same. Fig. 3, a detail edge view, partly in section, of the reciprocatmg-platen showing construction and arrangement of the spring-resisted disappearing paper-feed guide-pin carried thercbya Fig. 4, a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit and its connections.

S1m1lar numerals of reference designate Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 11, 1909. Serial No. 501,564.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

The improved photographic printing apparatus comprises a suitable casing of any suitable and convenient size or form, said casing, in the present instance, consisting of a rectangular structure made up of side, end

to and from each other, whereby to regulate the size of the negative receiving opening, by being provided with guide-slots 9, containing adjustingflbolts and wing-nuts 10. The vertical adjustment of the plates or boards 7, "permits of their adjustment to conform to negatives of varying sizes.

A reciprocating platen 11, is adjustably supported and mounted in front of the negative receiving opening 8, by means .of a

tansversely disposed supporting bar 12, to which said platen 11, in the present instance, is hingedly secured by means of hinges 13. The platen si'lpporting bar 12, is adjustably secured beneath the negative receiving opeir ing 8, by'means of bolt-arms 14:, provided at one end with Wing-nuts 15, and at the other with adjusting bolts 16, vertically adjustable in vertical slots 17 by means of win nuts 16, said vertical slots 17, being forme in guide supporting plates 18 secured to the sides of the side sectlons 1, of the casing.

The negative 19, is supported in the negative receiving opening 8, by havlng its lower edge clamped by a resilient element such as a rubber pad or the like (not shown) resting upon a supporting ledge 20, formed on the. inner side of the supporting bar 12. The sensitized element or card to be printed is fed upon the platen in front of the negative, beingsupported at lts lower ed hpon the pad restin on the supporting ledge 20, and at its si es by means of a spring-resisted disappearing guide-pin 21,

said guide-pin being carried by a spring member 22, transversely disposed on the rear side of the platen and secured at one end by means of securing pins 23. The guide-pin is movably mounted in one of the pin openings 24, of the )laten. and is adapted to be pressed inwardly flush with the inner surface of the platen by its engagement with the negative 19, when the platen carries the sensitized element into contact with the negative in the printing operation. The arrangement of a plurality of pin openings 24, in a horizontal line enables the disappearing guide-pin to be adjusted to correspond with or conform to the size of the sensitized element or card being printed.

The reciprocation of the platen, in the act of carrying the sensitized element to and from the negative, is accomplished, in the present instance, by means of a pair of 0011- necting arms or bars 25, rcciprocated, in the present instance, by. being connected to wheels 26, at the side of the casing carried upon the ends o f'a transversely disposed drivmg shaft 27, passing through one end of the casing. The outer or free ends of the connectmgarms or bars 25, pass through guide-openings 28, in the sides of the platen and are adapted to move the platen to its open position, or away from the negative, by being provided with contact stops or pins 29, designed to engage the inner sides of the platen as the latter is moved outwardly. During the closing movement of the platen, or as the latter is moved toward the negative, the platen is resiliently secured to the connecting bars 25, by means of coil springs 30, secured at one end to the arms or bars 25,

and at the other takes over attaching ins 31, carried by the projecting arms or en s of the platen as shown in Fig. 1,.0f the drawings. This arrangement prevents any injury to the negative in the inward or closing movement of the platen and enables this inward movement to conform to the thickness of the negative and sensitized element being printed. One of the wheels 26, may be provided with a suitable belting 32, communicating with any suitable and convenient source of power.

The means for projecting an actinic light through the negative and-upon the sensitized element while the platen is closed, may comprise any suitable and convenient source of illumination, such, for example, as two electric incandescent light bulbs 33, as shown. The electric lamps may be of any suitable and convenient form or type and are connected to a feed wire 34, communicating with some suitable dynamo or electric generator. The electric circuit is provided with a suitable switch 35, at one side of the casing and the electric lamps are supported within the casing and are adapted to be ad .justed to and from the negative by means of a pair of endless cord members 36, extending longitudinally within the upper portion of the box casing and supported therein by means of transversely disposed actuating rolls 37, and 38, at the front and rear end of the casing, respectively. The actuating roll 37, at the front end of the casing is provided at one end with a hand knob 39, by means of which the roll 37, may be revolved, whereby the suspended lamps 33, carried upon the upper member of the endless cords 36, may be moved to and from the negative so as to roject the light through the same as desire, Y

As a means for making and breaking the circuit and for maintaining the make and 7 break durin the closed and oien )ositions of the platen, a contact plate 40, is pro Vided, said contact plate being adapted to be intermittently engaged by a contact element 41, carried by the driving shaft 27, said contact element, in the present instance, being in the form of an arm radially extending from the shaft 27, and provided at its free end with a spring contact finger or arm 41, adapted to travel over the contact plate 40, as indicated in Fig. l, of the drawings.

As a means for re ulating the time of contact and consequent y the time or period of exposure of the sensitized element to the actinic light, the form of the contact plate 40, and its disposition, with respect to the moving contact element carried by the driving shaft 27, is such that it may be moved so that the length of the ath of travel of the contact element upon t 1e contact plate may be increased or decreased by moving or adjusting the contact plate 40, with respect to the moving contact element carried by the driving shaft 27. With this end in view, the contact plate 40, is adjustably mounted within the casing against the inner side of one of the side sections 1, by being provided with a guide pin 42, projecting through a guide slot 43, and provided with an ad usting thumb nut 44. ment,'it is obvious, upon referring to Figs. 1 and 4, of the drawings, that if the contact plate 40, is moved to or near its extreme forward position that the free end of the contact element or bar 41, will travel over a short path of contact near the upper rear corner of the contact plate, and, conseguently the time of exposure will be of short (See Fig. 2). By this arrangeters Patent is} p ings, the operation and advantages of the in vention will be readily understood;

- 1 Having thus described the invention, what is claimed'and desiredto be secured by Let- 1. A photographic printing apparatus,

comprising a casing provided with a source of illumination and a negative receiving opening a platensupporting member adjustably mounted beneath said negative receiving opening whereby the size of said opening may be regulated, a negative carried by said platen supporting memberand.

resting in said negative rece ving 0 ening, an oscillating platen in vfroirt of sai n egative receiving opening and pivotally mounted on said platen supporting membe'r,'a driv-f ing shaft provided with connecting arms secured tosaid oscillating platen, a contact arm carried by said driving shaft, and a contact plate adjustably mounted in said casing, whereby the length of the path of travel of said contact arm on said contact 'platemay be increased or decreased and whereby to make and break circuit with said said platen is source of illumination when "closed and opened. y-

, cease? 2. A photographic printing apparatus, comprising a casing, a negative, an electric circuit provided with an'adjustably mountmounted platen supporting member adapted to support said negative, and to be adjusted to conform to negatives of varying sizes, a

platen pivotally' mounted upon said platen supporting member and adapted to carry a ,ed illuminating agent adapted to project light through said negative, an adjustably sensitized element to and from said-negative,

-- -ALBERT H. \FRETTER.

AURA G. MARSH.

Witnesses:

'GEou H. BILLMAiQ'; O. C, BILLMAN. 

